One starry night, your 6-year-old kid suddenly comes up to you and asks, “What’s out there beyond the stars mommy?” You think to yourself, “This is awesome I might just have a budding scientist here”. The first thing that comes to your mind is, guess what? A telescope, in fact, best telescope for kids to get them stargazing.
They say, “All telescopes are created equal, they only differ in age”. Well, who would have known that telescopes have already been categorized and specified down to age brackets? You might not like it, but yes, telescopes are now being built specifically for the user’s age. If you might be wondering why that is, it could be due to the way telescopes are being made recently. Hardware nowadays has become increasingly cheap to manufacture and this is due to advances in technology.
Best Telescope for Kids At a Glance: Top Picks
Best Overall: Little Experimenter 2 -in -1
Best Value: GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope
Most Versatile: Ggienrui Kids Telescope
Best for Budget: Nancy B’s Science Club Moonscope
High Quality Lenses: MaxUSee Kids Telescope
Best for Outdoor: Celestron Travel Telescope
Best for Travel: Oumoda F36050 Telescope
Best Portable: Emarth 76mm Telescope
Light Weight: Orion GoScope II
With Advanced Tech: Gysker Telescope
In this case, telescopes are no exception. Nevertheless, it has produced more benefits rather than a disadvantage. It used to be that telescopes were a specialized niche, and it was exclusive to astronomers, enthusiasts, and children who are into the sciences. Now it has been made more affordable and is going more and more mainstream. Again, thanks to advances in technology.
Say hello to age-specific telescopes. In this article, we are going to look into the best telescope for young children that is available in the market today, specifically for kids. We are going to find out what makes the best telescope for kids to see planets.
By looking at some other best telescope for kids reviews and general information about brands and the product, we gained insights and ideas into what we should be considered in creating the necessary parameters around these factors. So, we needed to be up-to-date and made sure that we come up with the best beginner telescopes for your loved one.
Things that we are looking into in this review are:
- Age Bracket of Users
- Bestsellers
- Features
- Functionality and Durability
- The Look and Design
- Price point
Note: Looking for a fitness tracker? Check out my other article here.
Best Telescope for Kids That You Should Buy Today
Little Experimenter 2 -in -1 Kids Projector with Telescope
Spark your child’s imagination with this telescope equipped with a projector that can be shown in any part of the room. This item features a collapsible tripod with a swivel feature to point your scope in any desired direction. Or, maybe you can simply lock it in place for steady viewing. It has a 2x magnification scope, with the projector capable of displaying 3D images in great detail that can be shown in a blank wall in the room. Your kid can enjoy 24 slides of images of planets, spaceships and more.
The Little Experimenter telescope is made of a durable material designed to withstand rough play. And according to the manufacturer, it is suitable for children 5-8 years old.
This toy was designed with your kid in mind. It is made of high-quality plastic and a soft pliable eyepiece for safety. It also comes with an activity book filled with interesting facts about space and other fun activities that will awaken your child’s explorer instinct. And yes, batteries are included.
Pros: Kids love the awesome 3D images that the projector show. Both the pictures and the telescope will keep your child engaged and educated at the same time. Also, the book adds to the playtime enjoyment and early education that your child is receiving while playing.
Cons: So far, no negative reviews.
At a price point of $29.99, this item is a great gift suggestion that could last well into the future as an educational investment for your child. With a toy at this age range, it is the best telescope for kids to see planets, albeit just in pictures
Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope
This educational toy engages your child in both auditory learning as well as visual learning. It is fitted with audio that features the voice of Emily Dawn Calandrelli, the host of “Exploration Outer Space”. Your child then gets to play and listen to 240 facts about space. This telescope also features 24 images from NASA which is built -in and your child can view it anytime as she peers into the double eyepiece with not having to squint her eyes.
Geosafari Jr. encourages your child’s discovery of her natural surroundings. and satisfies her curiosity for the known world. This telescope features chunky knobs for curious little hands that would like to practice how to handle a telescope. It is good to note as well that this toy made it as the 2018 toy of the year finalist. Your child can also go quiz mode or fact mode on the 240 fun facts. Colors on the images are vivid and bright which surely your child will enjoy.
Directions for set up is easy to follow. You can roll and slide the images which are then spoken as you move. This item is packed with features that can keep your child occupied and learning for hours on end. It is indeed a talking telescope. that even parents will enjoy playing with their kids.
Pros: This educational telescopic toy fully engages your child because of the audio-visual programming. Learning is both intensive and fun for the child.
Cons: Batteries are not included. Some parents may have ordered thinking that they will be getting a working telescope as it is not clearly stated in the ad. However, it is as exciting to children as they would have received a working telescope.
The best part about giving your young child an educational toy is that you can have him or her play and learn at the same time. This makes learning fun and could become a great springboard for any practical interest that your kid might have later in life, especially in astronomy and the natural sciences.
At a price point of $44.99 there could be nothing worth more than investing in your child’s delight and interest, as well as his educational future.
This telescope toy made it to our list because the learning curiosity that the child gets from just watching and listening to the audio can definitely accelerate the child’s knowledge about space and other terrestrial objects. Space exploration is no longer the stuff of Science-fiction, it is now a reality. If you’d like your child to be abreast with what’s new in space, this telescope is for you and your family.
Ggienrui Kids Telescope
At first glance, this telescope sports the robust, simple, and yet educational toy look. With its 3- setting magnification of 20X,30X,40X, it makes for a simple yet powerful scope. It’s the perfect entry-level telescope for kids above 3 years up to 10 years old.
Small, slim, and sturdy, this scope is made from durable material to withstand small curious hands that may inadvertently drop it on the floor. Nonetheless, this telescope serves its purpose: One is to function and look like a telescope, but at the same time be a toy.
This instrument is made out of premium ABS acrylic and premium plastic parts that won’t easily break. It also has a smooth surface with no sharp edges to make sure your child’s hands are safe.
This scope definitely will catch a child’s imagination and encourage hours of play and learning time. Ggienrui Telescope comes in a box with the tripod already preassembled, it also makes for a quick and easy set up with no extra tools needed. Your kid can enjoy it night or day, may it be the moon or a bird on a tree in your neighbor’s backyard.
Pros: It’s a perfect starter telescope with no fuss, and no-frills, just good old stargazing fun for your kids. It has no extra parts and is lightweight. It feels toy looks like a toy, works as a serious instrument.
Cons: The view isn’t as bright compared to other higher-priced refactor scopes.
At $29.99, it makes it a reasonably priced gift for your kid.
Overall, Ggienrui Telescope is another great starter telescope. It is almost always a great gift suggestion and a fairly inexpensive way to set up your child for success if and when she so decides that she like Astronomy.
Best Telescope for 7 years old and above
Educational Insights Nancy B’s Science Club Moonscope
This telescope is bright green in color with an accent of purple, it is propped up with a tripod which makes for a very attractive and functional go-in-between toy and a scientific instrument. To others, it may look like a toy, but then it boasts of 18x and 19x magnification. It is a real scope designed to be fun and enjoyable. The lenses or eyepieces are all made of glass with sizes of 4mm and 20mm. It also comes with a finder scope for easy aiming, a 22-page journal, and a moon filter.
Take it out at night and look at the stars. You will get a great close-up view of the planets, and even the surface of the moon. Let your child record her adventures with the Sky Gazer Journal. Get her to do fun activities like drawing her very own man on the moon where she gets to learn about the lunar phases, and so much more.
This scope also supports STEM (Science, Technology, English, Math) subjects via a hands-on experience and real-time learning of the natural sciences.
This item encourages your child to be curious and adventurous even without mom and dad. This toy has a full warranty of 365 days by its company aptly named Educational Insights (since 1962).
Pros: This item looks a lot like a toy but can function like the real thing complete with real adjustable focus. Your child gets to practice with real knobs and real levers to take her to the next level.
Cons: Its glass lenses are detachable; it would be good to be careful not to lose them because there are no replacements in the box.
Let’s check video review of Nancy B’s Science Club Moonscope
With a price point of $49.95, and with no other real competition in the market, it makes for a very good investment for your child’s future. It can be a serious instrument used as a steppingstone to a budding scientific career, or she could choose to keep it just as an educational toy to build happy memories with.
MaxUSee Kids Telescope 400X40 mm Tripod and Finder Scope
Going up the ladder of the kid’s category, this telescope features a 400mm refractor type scope with a 5×18 finder which makes locating objects a lot easier. It has high quality lenses showing brighter, clearer and crisper images. It also has 2 interchangeable eyepieces with measurements of H12.5mm & 20 mm with a moon mirror and a compass built into the tube.
It comes with stars and moon map that will definitely spark your child’s navigator side. The manual is easy to read and is also easy to set up and assemble.
Pros: Since this scope is a refractor type, it is quite versatile in a sense that your kid can use it to watch earth objects as well as space objects. This item will always be a great gift suggestion as well.
Cons: The tripod of the scope is not that sturdy. In fact, others describe it as wobbly. And this telescope cannot really view faint objects in the night sky. This is due to the refractor types that are not designed for faint images. Focusing on this telescope would need some skill and therefore a little bit of practice. It then becomes a challenge for first-time users to immediately enjoy it.
At a price point $36.99, this telescope is a steal and is very competitive affordability-wise in the children’s market.
Overall, the value you get from this starter kit is the great map of the stars and moon, also noting its capability to view both earth and space objects. Kids would love to explore with a scope that can provide them a view of anything they would like to look at, including animals on earth.
Celestron 70mm Travel Telescope
Celestron 70mm is one giant leap in terms of features and innovation in telescope technology. It can view the moon, planets, and stars during the night, as well as earth objects during the day. It features a 70mm aperture objective lens that enhances images and makes viewing brighter and better.
The lightweight body of the scope together with the tripod, as well as the accessories, include a free backpack that is used as an ideal carry-along in outdoor activities.
It is perfect for times where there is a chance to view the night sky, or maybe daytime bird watching. Assembling the telescope is fairly easy and it only takes a few minutes to set up. Additionally, Celestron Travel Scope comes with 2 eyepieces at 20mm and 10mm respectively.
These eyepieces provide for high and low power views of whether looking at planets at night or earth objects during the day. This is apart from the high-quality lenses and the build of this instrument. It also comes with a free interactive software aptly named Starry Night Educational Software. It’s a program that is all about astronomy and the celestial bodies that your kids will surely enjoy.
This product comes with a warranty that lasts for 2 years from Celestron, the company that has been making quality scopes since 1962.
Pros: With the science and quality that was used to manufacture this scope, it may already qualify as more than an intermediate level telescope. It can already be used as a serious instrument for some in-depth study of the universe and the great beyond.
It will both serve the child who is just curious and wants to have fun, and the serious student that is planning a career in the space sciences. Any instrument that can do that is always worth much more value for your money.
Cons: The usual complaint in this category is the cheap plastic feel, which anyone would concede that it actually does feel cheap. Generally, it would be safe to say that you get what you pay for. This to think that it is actually is a semi-toy and it is supposed to be made of plastic. The tripod may also break, so it’s best to handle it with care.
At a price point of $66.90, this educational toy can be pricey compared to its counterparts. However, with the features and the technology behind it, as well as the experience of the company who made it, may compensates for the additional few dollars that you would have to shell out.
Overall, Celestron 70 mm Travel Scope brings out the best it can for a scope at this level and price range. Arguably, the Celestron brand is one of the most established brands of telescopes in the world. It may not come as a surprise if it is declared the best telescope for kids. However, customer, is King or Queen for that matter. We review, you decide.
Oumoda Travel Scope 90X Refractor Telescope Model F36050
This Oumoda model boasts a 4-setting magnification of 18X, 27X, 60X, 90X. It is also configured with a 50mm aperture, 360 focal length, and 2 interchangeable eyepieces, which makes it a very flexible scope. It is basically designed to view almost anything whether earthbound or celestial.
Although this telescope is at the beginner level, it was built in such a way that even a professional astronomer may consider using it. This is due to its powerful and versatile settings. It features a clear view with its multi-coated optic glass lens that achieves at least 99.5% transmittance. Lenses measure at H20mm and H6mm.
One notable addition to this item is the 1.5 erecting eyepiece that works to turn images right side up, which usually solves a common problem of refractor telescopes. This is wherein refracted images show upside down as you look at them. An erecting eyepiece usually solves this problem by showing the image right side up turning from left to right. This package also includes a moon lens and an instruction manual.
With all its solid technical features it can be easy to forget that this is, again an entry-level category telescope.
Pros: The popularity of this Oumoda model is that as an educational toy, it exceeds performance and expectations. This is mainly due to the perfect matching of magnification configuration which results to a powerful view whether near or far. In fact, some users note that it is a little bit too powerful for anything that is close. Nevertheless, it is still small and fun to be enjoyed by kids. Additionally, the tripod doesn’t break easily.
Cons: Some users find the construction quality less than expected but not totally disappointing.
With a price point of $38.99, including the erecting eyepiece of this refractor scope, you can say that it exceeds the value for money both as a toy and an instrument.
Overall, Oumoda telescope represents a segment of the market in a way that a user would have a choice to either stay with this model and continue enjoying it., Or, be inspired to move on and become an astronomer. These are the types of brands that build curiosity in kids that could potentially lead to a scientific career. Simultaneously, it still is a perfect gift item for your little one.
Emarth 76mm Telescope
This Earth telescope is a portable tabletop scope that is easy to carry and is also very easy to set up. It features a 76mm reflector tube that provides sharp and crisp images of the moon and other celestial bodies. Its 300mm focal length gathers a good amount of light to deliver bright views. Its 2 eyepieces are at 1.25 inches in length at K6mm:24X, K20mm:79X, respectively. It has a rotatable base that can go in an altazimuth motion for easy tracking.
The telescope itself can be adjusted up or down which also weighs at 1.75 kg, it is light enough to be carried around but heavy enough to keep steady on the tabletop when in use. Two awesome features of this scope are its quick no-tools set up, and the 2X Barlow lens that increases telescope magnification twice over. This item is double the fun without the fuss and is generally perfect for kids.
Pros: The instrument is so compact and portable, so much so that the convention itself is already worth the purchase. Not to mention that the item looks good too. Both kids and adults can appreciate its simple design and high functionality. This telescope is covered by warranty for 24 months which is definitely a good sign, and that this could also be the best telescope for kids 2019.
Cons: Since it’s not on a tripod, it might be a little difficult to use it if there is no waist level table or any elevated place to put it on.
At a price point $62.99 it’s about 20 bucks more compared to another entry-level category telescope. In this case, the convenience, simplicity, and magnifying power more than compensates for the higher price.
Overall, The Emarth 76mm may well appeal to kids as well adults. If you are the type who wants to spend more time looking at the stars than tinker with your instrument, this product is for you. Of course, it is also as always, a perfect gift suggestion.
Orion GoScope II 70mm Refractor Telescope
This Orion Goscope only weighs 3.5 pounds, making it very light and easy to carry around on outdoor trips. It is suitable for either daytime viewing of earth objects or nighttime stargazing. Along with the package comes a sturdy aluminum tripod, which you can just go ahead fold it up, take the telescope and put them all in the carry-on backpack that is included in the package. After that, you are good to go.
This scope features a 40mm focal length with a 5×24 finder scope as a special addition for easy aiming. It includes two 1.25-inch eyepieces at 25mm and 10mm, with 16-power and 40-power views respectively. An Orion MoonMap 260 is included for a better understanding of the lunar features of the moon. This scope is designed to withstand rugged handling and outdoor trips which makes it very popular for kids and adults who are into nature tripping and astronomy.
Pros: The strong point of this telescope are its versatility. When it comes today and nighttime use, with just by being a refractor telescope, makes bird watching a breeze.
Cons: The scope is well-made; however, some users report that the tripod is not as stable as it should be.
With a price point of $79.99, this telescope already belongs to the upper tier of telescopes in the kid’s category. In this case, the higher price is compensated with the magnifying power and sturdy build of the scope, this is not to mention the magnifying power itself.
Overall, this telescope is going up one level higher for those users who have experienced the budget-friendly price and mid to low-level quality of entry-level scopes. Mostly they come out cheaper, but definitely not as strongly built as this item. If you are looking for something that would “roll” with you as you go on adventure outdoors, this scope would be a reliable item to keep. And also, GoScope with its great looks makes a good gift suggestion.
Gysker Telescope AZ50350 German Technology
This scope has a 50mm aperture to show bright clear images for both night and day views. As the title suggests this item is patterned after German technology, but then it doesn’t say how. The focal length of the telescope is at 350mm with a finder scope attached.
Included in this package are two interchangeable eyepieces at 10mm-35X, 25mm-14X, respectively. A 3x Barlow lens is also in the package basically tripling its magnification level. This package also comes fitted with a cellphone adapter that allows you to see the image on your cellphone for easier and larger viewing. No need to squint down on the eyepiece to look at the image.
You can also take real-time screenshots of your subject using your cellphone. It can be done during day or nighttime viewing, and there is. no need for tools upon assembly. It also sets up within minutes.
Pros: Makes for an exciting entry-level scope. It also has all the desirable features of an intermediate level scope, coupled with great innovation such the cellphone adapter basically revolutionizes the viewing process. That means no more squinting, and you can conveniently store images that you saw from the previous night.
Cons: As per buyer review, this item in spite of all its great features and high-end add-ons, is made of non-sturdy materials. So, while you can enjoy this scope at home or maybe even sometimes outside the house, this telescope would not be able to withstand real hard elements of an extended outdoor trip. Materials used for its construction is not of superior quality and you can expect your scope to fall apart under rugged conditions.
At a price point of $59.99 with all the features of a decent priced intermediate telescope it is pretty much getting what you pay for. It is what it is, a relatively cheap entry-level scope with advanced features.
Overall, the Gysker AZ50350 delivers on what it promises, just don’t expect it to last very long. This is especially if you plan to take this scope camping or some other long outdoor trip. Otherwise, it has exciting features that compensate and qualifies as an educational toy that you can have at home to enjoy with your kids. Or, maybe sometimes outside the house.
Final Words
After making thorough assessment to each item that we have featured in this review, we concluded that functionality and durability are the first and foremost considerations in finding the best telescope for kids. So, if you are looking to buy one, the first two things to ask are: Does it work properly? And, is it sturdy enough? If these two questions are answered with a yes, then you pretty much have it all figured out.
Enjoy the stars!
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